If Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago could offer a commentary on her own passing, it would probably be as witty as ever; nothing less from a woman known for her sterling record as a public servant, fiery personality, and lengthy list of quotable quotes.
Sen. Miriam, who succumbed to cancer Thursday morning at the age of 71, was in public service for over three decades before she publicly announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in 2014. However, the otherwise debilitating disease did not stop the politician dubbed as “The Iron Lady of Asia†from running for President in the 2016 national elections.
Interestingly, the colorful career she left behind couldn’t have been a bigger deviation from her original life plan she conceived when she was once shy little girl. Then, she believed that her life’s purpose would be fulfilled in the nunnery! With the urging of her father, she would then proceed to become a top-performing law student at the University of the Philippines. Her career in politics would get its big break during President Cory Aquino’s term.
In an interview with PeopleAsia in 2011, the PeopleAsia People of the Year awardee said “I don’t understand why life has to be so valuable. Life would go on without me. Since we all know that death is inevitable, I don’t really see the difference between dying now and dying a decade later. So if I’m threatened with assassination, I welcome it!†Only Sen. Miriam could insert a sliver of humor in discussion of such a grim subject matter.
“Plus, I don’t think I can be reborn in a more backwards universe than this. It can only be a promotion!â€Â she added with a sigh and a laugh.
Her friends, family and supporters will surely miss her, but as she said, life will go on without her, but the world of politics will certainly be a lot more quiet — and a lot less interesting — without her.
(Photography by FRANK HOEFSMIT)
